This invention relates to apparatus employed in the building construction industry and more particularly to apparatus for stabilizing a suspended channel member of the type employed, for example, to hold or support pipes, conduits or other components of a building from building structure.
Channel members or struts are commonly employed in the building construction industry for a variety of purposes. Channel members are commonly used, for example, with hanger rods, and the channel member depending from the hanger rod is routinely employed to hold or support pipes, conduits or other components of a building from a ceiling or other overhead building structure.
The typical channel member is of elongated construction and includes a channel member base and two spaced, substantially parallel channel member legs attached to the channel member base and extending therefrom. Each of the channel member legs has an inturned lip extending over an interior of the channel defined by the channel member base and the channel member legs. The channel member has two ends defining openings communicating with the channel member interior.
Many different types of hardware or fittings have been devised for use with channel members to accomplish specific objectives. Some of these devices are attached at the ends of a channel member to accomplish such tasks as that of securing the channel member to a beam or other support. Representative examples of fittings are shown, for example, on pages 83 and 87 of the Power-Strut Engineering.Catalog, Copyright 1987, 1992, 1994, made available by Grinnell Corporation, and on pages 84, 86 and 90 of the B-Line Strut Systems Engineering Catalog (BL2R), Copyright 1985 by B-Line Systems, Inc.
It is also known to attach end caps to the ends of channel members for such purposes as to provide a decorative appearance or to prevent concrete from entering the channel member during a concrete pour. Representative ends caps are shown on page 108 of the Power-Strut Catalog indicated above and on page 87 of the B-Line Strut Systems Engineering Catalog noted above. Simple end caps are slipped over channel member ends to function as protective safety covers.
Page 108 of the Power-Strut Engineering Catalog shows a short anchor end cap which functions as a concrete insert that is positioned at an end of a channel member to block concrete from entering the end of the channel member and to provide an outwardly projecting anchor which extends upwardly through the concrete. In other words, the channel member and the short anchor end cap are positioned in situ together and are maintained together as a unit after the concrete has been poured and hardened. There is no fastener means employed in such an arrangement for allowing the short anchor end cap to function with a suspended strut or channel member to stabilize same. The type xe2x80x98Bxe2x80x99 end cap shown on the same catalog page is utilized in much the same manner as the short anchor end cap.
None of the prior art fittings is for the purpose of, or suitable for, stabilizing a suspended channel member and restricting movement of the suspended channel member from a location at the end of the channel member. With conventional arrangements, stabilizing structure is connected to a channel member at a location or locations between the ends thereof. This will result in an inability to utilize the maximum effective length of the channel member as a support for support pipes, conduits or other components of a building, as well as interfere with installation of these components on the channel member.
My co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/841,647, filed Apr. 24, 2001, indicated above, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part, relates to an approach for bracing a suspended channel member against movement due to earthquakes and the like while enabling the user to employ the full length of the channel member to provide support for pipes, conduits or other components of a building. The present invention relates to another approach for accomplishing this objective.
The present invention encompasses a combination including an elongated channel member having a channel member base and first and second spaced, substantially parallel channel member legs attached to the channel member base and extending therefrom. Each of the channel member legs has an inturned lip extending over a channel member interior defined by the channel member base and the channel member legs.
An attachment member is connected to the channel member. The attachment member is comprised of a plurality of attachment member plates secured together and located at the channel member end.
At least some of the attachment member plates are angularly disposed relative to one another with a first attachment member plate in engagement with the channel member and a second attachment member plate projecting outwardly from the channel member for attaching stabilizing structure to the channel member when the channel member is suspended to stabilize and restrict movement of the suspended channel member.